


The Truth is Rarely Pure and Never Simple

by Gypsyfire1066



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 14:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5378900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gypsyfire1066/pseuds/Gypsyfire1066
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate ending to 4.08</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Truth is Rarely Pure and Never Simple

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer- characters are the property of DC comics and the CW.

“What a mess,” Felicity said as she and Oliver walk into the loft. They were in such a hurry to leave Star City, there had been no time to clean up the mess Vandal Savage had left when he attacked. “We have to clean this place up. Unless… you’re ready to tell me what you said you’d tell me.” Felicity put her purse down, glancing at Oliver as he sat on the couch. 

“Felicity…” he said, clearly not wanting to talk about it. Whatever it was. 

Leaning down to pick up a pillow, Felicity shook her head, “Don’t ‘Felicity’ me Oliver. We’re a team. If something is bothering you and I don’t know about it,” she said hitting him gently with the pillow before she tossed it next to him on the couch, “I can’t help you fix it. I love you, and I want to help. So… what had you acting so strange in Central City?”

Oliver smiled softly, shaking his head “It doesn’t matter anymore. I am back in Star City,” he said, pulling her down to sit on his lap, “with you.”

“It doesn’t work that way Oliver. You can’t just leave your problems in Central City. As tempting as that is.” She curled into him, running her hand absently over his head, “So? What’s going on?”

“Noth-”

“Don’t lie to me Oliver Queen. I can see right through you!” she sat up, turning so she could look him in the eyes.

“It’s…complicated,” he replied, entwining their fingers. 

“Stop stalling and just tell me.”

“What if it’s too much? What if it drives you away?”

“Oliver, I’ve seen you kill people before, you joined the League of assassins, you partnered up with Merlyn. Hell, you wanted to infiltrate HIVE just a few weeks ago! Nothing can be that bad! None of that has driven me away, I’m still here.”

“Felicity…”

“No,” she shook her head, “no more stalling.” 

Oliver closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, “I have a son.”

Felicity’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth. Closed it. Nothing came out. Getting up, she pulled her hand from Oliver’s grasp, walking toward the windows overlooking the city. 

Getting up, Oliver followed her, “Felicity…Please…say something.” 

She shook her head, taking her glasses off. She sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing the spot where her glasses rested. “I don’t know what to say. What do you want me to say Oliver? You have a son. I mean… how- when? For once, I… I just don’t know what to say. Congratulations! You’ve finally made me speechless! That what you want?” Felicity said throwing her arms in the air.

Seeing a slight smile on his face in the reflection on the window, she spun around. “Oh, no. Wipe that smirk off your face,” she said raising her hand, finger pointing at him. “God, Oliver! How could you not tell me? Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Of course!”

“When? Cause I had to drag it out of you just now!”

“Felic-” Oliver began reaching toward her.

“What does it say about me, about our relationship, that your first instinct is to hide things? To lie to me?” she said as she backed out of his reach.

“It wasn’t! I wanted to tell you!” 

“Explain,” Felicity said in a cold voice, eyes shooting daggers at him.

Oliver turned, rubbed his hands over his face. “God, Felicity. I just… she said I couldn’t see him if I told anyone. I wanted to tell you,” he turned back toward her, “I swear! I begged, I… I didn’t know what to… do.”

Felicity sighed softly, some of her anger dissipating when she saw how upset he was. “You should have told me Oliver, regardless of what she said. I wouldn’t tell anybody. I… I would’ve done anything to help you. I grew up without a father. No child should ever go through that. Especially if you want to be in his life.”

Oliver looked up at her, “It doesn’t bother you that I have a son? A child with someone else?” he asked slowly.

“Oliver, really? Do you not know me at all? I don’t care that you have a son,” she said walking towards him, clasping his face between her hands, forcing him to look at her. “I care that you are honest with me. About everything. He’s your son, he’s part of you. I’ll love him for no other reason. He’ll be a bonus child” she said. “Oh, God, that sounded terrible! He’s not your bonus child, he’s your child child. He’ll be my bonus child… not that there is such a thing. Oh, gosh, I just need to sto-”

Oliver kissed her, cutting her off. 

“No no no,” she said pushing him back, “you can’t fix this with a kiss.” She paced back and forth, setting her glasses on the table, trying to absorb the fact that Oliver had a son. That he’d been lying to her. 

“So… were does this leave us? Are we still…” he gestured between them after a moment “together?” he practically whispered.

“I don’t know. Honestly Oliver, I love you, but I feel like you still don’t trust me.”

“Felicity, that’s not true-”

“Yeah, it is. If you trusted me, you wouldn’t have hidden this from me.” Felicity remained silent for a few seconds. “Agh!” she said, running her hands through her hair in agitation. “I don’t know how I feel. You’ve been lying to me for four years. I guess I can really only count the seven months we’ve been together. That’s huge, I don’t know how… to get past it.”

“I know Felicity. I am so sorry. I- hold on, I haven’t kept this from you seven months, let alone four years!”

“I’ve known you for almost four years Oliver, you’ve never once mentioned a son. I would have remembered, trust me. You’ve never mentioned a kid. Nope, not once…Oh- oh God!” she exclaimed looking at him, eyes wide, “You just found out, didn’t you? That’s why you were acting so strange. It wasn’t that you saw him in Central City, it was that you found out! That makes so much more sense! Duh! Is Detective Hall the mother? Didn’t she move to Central City? Hm, wait, maybe was it Coast City?”

“Felicity,” Oliver said, grabbing her hands, making her focus on him, “Her name is Samantha, and it happened a long before I met you. Before the island.”

“How did you not know? How could she keep that from you?” Felicity asked in horror.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Really? It’s hard to pick up a phone and say ‘hey Oliver you knocked me up’? I’m mean, I’m sure it’s not an easy call to make, but she had no right to keep that from you.”

“She told me” he said quietly.

Felicity looked at him in shock. “But… you said you just found out? Right?” she asked confused.

“It’s a long story,”

“You know, the schedule’s open tonight, so start talking.”

“When Samantha told me she was pregnant, I panicked,” he said, beginning to fidget, looking over her shoulder. “I didn’t know what to do. I was twenty… I wasn’t ready to be a dad. Laurel was hounding me to move in with her… she expected so much from me… I didn’t know what to do. So I told my mom. She was the only one who knew.” He shook his head “She assured me we’d get through it. For a week, I did nothing but panic. And then Samantha called, said she lost the baby, and God,” he bowed his head, closing his eyes, “I’m so ashamed, but it was a relief. Not having to tell my dad, Laurel. Not having to grow up, become responsible.” Oliver looked back up at her, “You don’t know how many times I’ve of thought of that child, wondering if it was a boy or girl. Wondering if I would have been a good father. Wondering if I would have stepped up or run away. I swear Felicity, I was going to tell you, I just didn’t know how to tell you I’d gotten some girl pregnant. Someone who meant nothing to me. Since she’d… lost the baby, I guess I just didn’t feel like there was a rush. I figured as soon as you knew, you’d look at me differently.”

“Why? Because you got someone pregnant? It’s not exactly a secret you slept with anything with boobs Oliver! You were a playboy. The tabloids called you ‘Playboy Oliver Queen,’ that’s not exactly a flattering title you know.” 

“I know, it’s just… I was… with Laurel at the time. I didn’t want you to know I cheated on her-”

“You took Sara on the Gambit while you were dating Laurel. I think the ship has sailed on me not knowing you cheated on Laurel,” Felicity told him matter-of-factly. 

“I know you’ve seen the bad side of me as the Arrow, but I never wanted you to see the person I was before the island. The one who didn’t think twice about cheating, or lying, or any of the crap I did. I didn’t want you to ever worry that I might cheat on you.”

“Oliver, I trust you. I wouldn’t be in this relationship I didn’t, if I thought there was even the slightest chance you would betray me like that.”

“I know,” he said quietly, “I am so afraid of letting you down.”

Felicity took his hand, led him to the couch. She picked up a pillow, holding it to her chest as if it would protect her, as she sat down in one corner. 

Oliver joined her, sitting close, but not touching her. He watched her, waiting for her to say something. 

“So… if she didn’t lose the baby, why did she lie?” Felicity asked. 

Oliver ran his hand over his eyes, “My mother,” he said simply.

Waiting a second for him to elaborate, Felicity finally prompted him, “Your mother…?” 

“Turns out she took care of the… problem,” he said with disgust, “by paying Samantha a million dollars to tell me she lost the baby. My own mother!” 

“Oh, Oliver!” Felicity said, reaching for his hand. “I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine how painful that must be.”

“In some ways, it’s worse than finding out I have a son. Finding out that your own mother could… do something like that. That she didn’t want her own grandchild,” his voice shook with emotion. “I can’t even confront her. Ask her why,” he said as he finally broke down. 

Felicity moved closer as he talked, needing to comfort him. Putting her arms around him, she held him close, letting him grieve. The years missed with his son, the memory of his mother forever tainted. 

“Are you still mad?” Oliver asked after a while.

“Yeah. Maybe not as much as I was when I thought you’d been lying to me for years. But… I still feel a bit betrayed. I can’t help it. It’s not about…?”

“William,” Oliver supplied.

“It’s not about William. It’s about the fact that I don’t think you fully trust me. Although, I kinda see why when everyone in your life has lied to you at one point or another. But I haven’t. I need you to trust me. If you don’t, I’m not sure we can move forward.”

Oliver cupped her cheek in his hand, “I’m working on it Felicity. I do trust you, but sometimes, I… that fear comes back. You and John are about the only ones I do trust. I survived all those years because I didn’t trust anyone, it’s hard to let that go. Even before the island, I couldn’t trust anyone,” he said. “Being a Queen meant I was constantly surrounded by people who wanted to use me. For my money, my reputation, my name. There are a lot of people who will pretend to be your friend if they think it will benefit them. My whole life, I’ve been guarded. I am lowering my guard with you, and John, and I know it’s not down all the way, but I’m trying. You have to believe me. I need you in my life, I can’t imagine what I would do without you,” he said running his hands through her hair, loosening her ponytail. “I’ll do whatever I need to to gain your trust back. Jump off the balco-”

“It’s not that easy,” she whispered. “I wish it was, I truly do. But I need some time. I’m not,” she rushed, seeing his crestfallen look, “breaking up or ending this. I just need some time to think. As I’m sure you do.”

He nodded, “what do we do? Do you want me to go to the Foundry? Spend a few days there?”

“No,” she shook her head, “You stay here. I’ll crash with John and Lyla for a day or two. Then we can regroup.”

With that, Felicity got up and went upstairs. Coming back after a few minutes with a suitcase, she saw Oliver had not moved. Watching him silently for a second, she noticed how haggard he looked, like he’d aged ten years in the last few hours. 

“Oliver…” she began, not sure what to say.

He got up, looking at her, casting a glance at the bag at her feet. Walking over to her, he pulled her into his arms. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear, holding her tightly. “I’m afraid if I let you go, you won’t come back.”

“Oliver, I’m not breaking up with you. I love you, I want this,” she pulled away, gesturing between them, “to work. But we both need some time. I’m not mad anymore, or as mad, I should say. I’m just disappointed right now. I’ll get over it. I promise.” Reaching up, she kissed him softly on the lips, grabbed her bag, and with a final look at him, walked out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> This originally started out as a short drabble since I didn’t care for how 4.08 ended. It sorta took on a life of its own and got longer than I expected. 2K plus words later… Not sure where it came from, but there you go. Hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
